Tag: LSU Sports

The 15 best players from LSU’s 2022-23 athletic year

It was a special year in Baton Rouge, and it was made possible by these players.

With LSU’s athletic year in the past, it’s time to look back.

It was a good 365 days in Baton Rouge. Baseball and women’s basketball won national titles. Gymnastics competed at Four on the Floor, and [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] won 10 games in what was a supposed rebuilding year for the football team.

All of that was made possible by star athletes across campus.

Here, we begin our year-in-review series by looking at the best athletes. From swimming to track to football, everything is taken into account here.

Here are the best 15 athletes of LSU’s athletic year.

LSU to take over SEC Network on Friday

The programming begins at 11 p.m. CT with a replay of the Tigers’ Citrus Bowl win over Purdue.

Editor’s Note: The following is an official press release courtesy of LSU’s athletics department.

BATON ROUGE – LSU enjoyed a banner year in athletics in 2022-23 and some of those memorable moments will be on display on the SEC Network beginning at 11 tonight.

From Haleigh Bryant’s historic night of three 10s, to LSU’s first national championship in women’s basketball and most recently, the Tigers’ victory over Florida to claim its seventh national title in baseball, fans will be able to relive those events and many more during LSU’s Takeover of the SEC Network.

The following is a list of LSU events featured on the SEC Network for 24 hours starting tonight at 11 when the 63-7 Citrus Bowl victory over Purdue airs to kickoff 24 hours of great LSU moments during the 2022-23 athletic year.

LSU’S SEC NETWORK TAKEOVER – FRIDAY, JULY 7

All times Central

11 p.m. CT (Thursday, July 6) Football vs. Purdue in the 2023 Citrus Bowl
LSU scored the first 49 points of the game as the Tigers cruised to a 63-7 win over Purdue in the Citrus Bowl. Malik Nabers earned game MVP honors after catching nine passes for 163 yards and a TD. Nabers also threw a TD pass to Jayden Daniels as LSU closed out the first year under Brian Kelly with its 10th win.

2 a.m. (Friday, July 7) SEC Storied: The Walk Off
Relive Warren Morris’ home run to beat Miami in the 1996 College World Series. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and with LSU trailing by a run, Morris delivered what remains one of the biggest moments in college baseball history when he delivered his only home run of the season – a two-run blast to right field that clinched the national championship for the Tigers.

2:30 a.m. Baseball vs. Tennessee
Paul Skenes had another outstanding outing, striking out 12 and allowing just five hits and one run in seven innings as the Tigers beat Tennessee, 5-2, before a record crowd of 13,068 at Alex Box Stadium. Jordan Thompson lined a bases-clearing double to break a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning. Reliever Garrett Edwards tossed the final 1.2 innings, allowing no runs, to earn the victory on the mound.

5:30 a.m. National L Club Spring Game
Get a glimpse of the 2023 Tigers with the National L Club Spring Game. The game ended in a 32-32 tie and featured 70-yard TD passes by both Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier.

7:30 a.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Georgia
LSU remained undefeated in a thrilling 82-77 overtime win over Georgia in the Maravich Assembly Center. Angel Reese scored 23 points and hauled in 14 rebounds she extended her school-record streak of double-doubles to 22 straight.

9:30 a.m. Softball vs. Mississippi State
Every LSU starter recorded at least one hit and freshman Alea Johnson allowed no runs and only three hits in 5.1 innings of relief as the Tigers improved 36-11 overall and 9-8 in league play. LSU blew open the game with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and cruised to a 10-4 victory.

11:30 a.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Tennessee
At the time, the largest crowd to see a sporting event in the Maravich Assembly Center (15,157) since the reconfiguration of the arena nearly 20 years ago, saw LSU remain unbeaten with a 76-68 win over Tennessee. Alexis Morris scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Tigers.

1:30 p.m. Gymnastics vs. West Virginia
Haleigh Bryant recorded three 10s becoming only the fifth gymnasts in NCAA history to accomplish the feat in a single meet as the Tigers defeated West Virginia, 198.025-196.450. Bryant’s 10s came in the vault, bars and then made history with her third perfect score of the night on the floor.

3 p.m. Baseball vs. Florida in Men’s College World Series Final
LSU won its seventh national title in baseball with its 18-4 win over Florida in the championship game of the Men’s College World Series. With the series tied at 1-1, Thatcher Hurd earned the win, throwing six innings, allowing only two runs and two hits – the first two batters he faced – while striking out seven. LSU set a College World Series record with 24 hits as 11 Tigers recorded at least one hit in the game. Down 2-0 after the first inning, LSU scored 10 unanswered runs – 6 in the top of the 2nd and 4 in the top of the 4th to blow the game open.

6 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Iowa in National Championship Game
LSU claimed the school’s first national championship in women’s basketball with its 102-85 win over Iowa in title game. Jasmine Carson came off the bench in the first half, making her first seven shots and scoring 22 points, to spark the Tigers. LSU set the NCAA Women’s Final Four record by scoring 59 points in the first half and led 59-52 after two quarters.

8 p.m. Football vs. Alabama
Jayden Daniels connected with Mason Taylor on a two-point conversion in overtime as LSU beat Alabama in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 2010 with its 32-31 win over the Crimson Tide. Down 31-24 after Alabama’s first possession in overtime, Daniels scored on a 25-yard run on LSU’s first play in overtime setting the stage for one of the most memorable endings to a game in Death Valley. Instead of kicking the extra-point to send the game into a second overtime, LSU coach Brian Kelly opted for the two-point conversion and the rest is history as thousands of fans celebrated the victory on the field.

LSU’s 2 national titles lead to 9th-place finish in Directors’ Cup

It’s LSU’s highest Director’s Cup finish since 2009 and second-highest of all time.

With national championships in women’s basketball and baseball, as well as top-10 finishes in gymnastics, beach volleyball and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, LSU finished No. 9 in the final Directors’ Cup standings for the 2022-23 academic year.

It’s the school’s highest finish since 2009 and second-highest of all time behind 2008 when it finished eighth.

Stanford ultimately won the Cup, which is given to the top overall athletics department in the country. The Tigers edged out USC, which rounds out the top 10. LSU ranks fourth among SEC schools behind Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.

Eight SEC schools finished in the top-25 overall, which was the most of any conference.

LSU has now won 51 total national championships with this year’s additions, and it’s the 11th time the Tigers have captured two in the same year. LSU will hope to add to that total under [autotag]Scott Woodward[/autotag], whose tenure as athletics director has been very successful so far.

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LSU softball’s Ciara Briggs wins back-to-back Gold Gloves

LSU’s Ciara Briggs defense earned her recognition for the second straight year.

LSU softball center fielder [autotag]Ciara Briggs[/autotag] added to her resume this week with a second consecutive Golden Glove.

The award is given annually by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

In addition to winning the Gold Glove, Briggs is also likely to make back-to-back all-defensive teams. Briggs moved to center field last year after beginning her career as a left fielder in 2021, a season where made the All-SEC Newcomer team.

At the plate, Briggs has totaled 218 career hits in Baton Rouge while scoring 150 runs. She’s appeared in nearly 200 games for Beth Torina’s squad.

Her defense got her on SportsCenter’s top 10 in 2022 when she tumbled over a wall to make the catch.

Earlier this year, she laid out in left-center to make a spectacular diving catch that clinched a win for LSU.

Briggs will have another year of eligibility left should she choose to use it. LSU will lose some significant pieces so getting their star center fielder back would be a huge boost.

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Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Everything LSU fans need to know after a hectic sports weekend

It was a busy weekend in LSU sports with strong performances on the diamond.

This weekend was the busiest 2023 has offered LSU fans thus far.

Both basketball teams were in action, with the women’s team competing in the SEC Tournament. The diamond was busy, too, with both baseball and softball having jam-packed schedules.

On Friday night, gymnastics hosted three teams in the Baton Rouge River Center, including a couple of top-25 squads.

There was football buzz, too. Former LSU players traveled to Indianapolis for the combine and future LSU players arrived in Baton Rouge for a busy weekend of recruiting.

Here’s everything you need to know after a hectic weekend in LSU sports.